Weekly GEOINT Community News

MDA Acquires DigitalGlobe; GDIT Awarded DIA Contract; Ball Aerospace & World View Demonstrate Remote Sensing from Stratollite Platform

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MDA Acquires DigitalGlobe

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) announced Feb. 24 its intent to acquire DigitalGlobe for $2.4 billion, reports SpaceNews. The boards of directors of both companies have approved the deal, which they expect to close in the second half of this year.DigitalGlobe will retain its name and Colorado headquarters, and will become a subsidiary of SSL MDA Holdings, the U.S. operating company of MDA. According to DigitalGlobe’s press release, the combination of the companies will bring together complementary space-related capabilities, creating a stronger company uniquely positioned to capture growth in the U.S., Canadian, and global Earth observation and geospatial services markets.

GDIT Awarded DIA Contract

General Dynamics Information Technology won a task order from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) to manage enterprise communications for the Combatant Commands and subordinate units. The Enterprise Communications Services 2 (ECS2) contract has a five-year ordering period of $155 million and was awarded under DIA’s Enhanced Solutions for the Information Technology Enterprise (E-SITE) contract. GDIT will manage and expand the secure voice, video, and data services required by the Combatant Commands.

Ball Aerospace & World View Demonstrate Remote Sensing from Stratollite Platform

Ball Aerospace and flight technologies company World View completed a Stratollite mission earlier this month, demonstrating capabilities for remote sensing applications from the stratosphere, nearly 70,000 feet above Earth. World View has developed Stratollites—high-tech balloons offering long-duration, persistent flight above specific geographic areas of interest. The mission carried a Ball Aerospace sensor aboard a Stratollite and collected data on the balloon’s flight characteristics as well as on sensor performance in this environment. Ball and World View plan to build on the success of this flight with subsequent Stratollite missions that will carry higher resolution sensors for longer durations.

Airbus Partners with Bird.i

Airbus Defense and Space announced a new partnership with Bird.i, a global platform for accessing satellite, airborne, and UAS imagery. The partnership will allow real-time, online visualization of Airbus’s Pléiades and SPOT satellite images, as well as support the development of new applications and services across a wide range of analytics markets.

Dewberry to Provide Flood Protection for New York

The New York State Office of General Services selected Dewberry to support flood protection and dam safety engineering and mapping services. The firm will provide floodplain and coastal management services, including risk and hazard assessment; data collection and analysis; GIS mapping and database production; sea level rise analysis; coastal resilience planning and management; and dam safety inspections.

Accenture Unveils Innovation Hub

Accenture opened a new innovation hub in Houston, Texas, as part of the company’s innovation investment in the U.S. This is the first of 10 new hubs Accenture will establish as part of a nationwide initiative, which includes a $1.4 billion investment in training and the hiring of 15,000 new employees in the next four years. The innovation hub includes a liquid studio and innovation center—highly collaborative environments where Accenture works with its clients to leverage digital and emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, drones with computer vision, and virtual reality.

Photo Credit: DigitalGlobe

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